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Montana 4‑H Foundation committee outlines '4‑H Champions' alumni network to boost fundraising
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Summary
The Montana 4‑H Foundation’s committee agreed to build a network of alumni '4‑H champions' supported by marketing materials and a cleaned alumni database (estimated 2,000–2,500 contacts) to aid fundraising and outreach; Kathy and Jennifer will draft a proposal for committee and board review.
Kathy, a foundation board member, proposed creating a statewide "4‑H champions" alumni network to serve as advocates for the Montana 4‑H Foundation and support fundraising and marketing efforts. "Once it's set up, our ideal goal is to have a signature fundraiser for 4‑H," she said.
The committee’s discussion focused on two parallel tracks: producing reusable outreach assets with marketing partner Rebel River and consolidating alumni contact data so champions can reach people directly. Kelsey, a foundation staff member, said the group has obtained national "Raise Your Hand" data and is working with Bloomerang to clean and import it. "Sounds like there's, like, maybe around 2,000 to 2,500 people that did that," Kelsey said of the alumni list. She added, "we'll get that information cleaned up and put into our database." The team also plans to pull recent records from 4H Online and other internal systems.
Jennifer, who works in extension, urged a focused definition and training for champions and recommended starting with extension agents and staff before expanding outward. "To be a champion is a person that supports your cause," she said, suggesting the foundation prepare slides, flyers and short videos that champions can reuse when speaking to civic groups or hosting small gatherings.
Committee members agreed on a staged organizational model: recruit one district "champion captain" in each of the eight state districts to lead local recruitment, then identify county contacts as needed. The group also discussed a "toolbox" of options so volunteers can select tasks that fit their schedules—time, talent or treasure—rather than forcing a single approach.
On outreach channels, members recommended prioritizing existing audiences (service organizations, county fair events, extension retiree groups and alumni reunions) and combining digital templates with face‑to‑face or small‑group events. Participants suggested measuring activity with simple benchmarks—contact counts or periodic check‑ins—to track momentum and, over time, assess fundraising results.
Next steps: Kathy and Jennifer will draft a concrete proposal and materials for the committee to refine in a committee meeting scheduled prior to the board session, after which the committee will present the proposal to the full board. The committee also directed staff to continue work with Bloomerang and Rebel River to prepare the initial assets and data imports.
The committee closed without a formal vote; members agreed to reconvene the proposal in the next committee meeting and to report back at the board meeting.
